Yasumasa Morimura

Artville artist of the day: Yasumasa Morimura

Title: Angels Descending a Staircase
Year: 1991
Size: 102.5 x 89 in. (260.4 x 226.1 cm.)
Medium: Photographs, color photograph mounted on canvas

Yasumasa Morimura (Japanese, b.1951) is an appropriation artist. He was born in Osaka, Japan, and obtained his Bachelor of Fine Arts in 1978 from the Kyoto City University of Arts. Since 1985, Morimura has been doing solo expositions in international arenas, even though he has engaged in group expositions as well. In his artwork, Morimura uses the portraits of ancient artists, from Edouard Manet (French, 1832–1883) to Rembrandt (Dutch, 1606–1669) to Cindy Sherman (American, b.1954), and attaches his very own body and face into these images. In 1985, he also displayed a big colored picture of Van Gogh (Dutch, 1853–1890), with his own body and face inserted in it. From that time on, self-portrait became the main theme of Morimura's works. His numerous exhibitions have been displayed in a number of museums across several countries, such as France, Chicago, Japan, California, and Australia.

In 1998, Morimura's selection as an artist of Aperto of Venice Biennale had catapulted his career and brought prominence to his name. Morimura converts himself into familiar subjects with the use of costumes, props, digital manipulation, and make-up. His masterpieces encompass works inspired by influential paintings of such artists as Diego Velásquez (Spanish, 1599–1660) and Frida Kahlo (Mexican, 1907–1954), and by pictographic sources from the mass media and history.

Morimura's work is specifically effective and forceful as a result of his capacity to both mock and provide homage to his reference materials and subjects. The artist made a string of assorted self-portraits following the art and style of Frida Kahlo in his latest and very expensive reproduction. In 1996, Morimura was a nominee for the Hugo Boss Prize. The public museums keeping the work of Morimura include the Honolulu Museum of Art in Hawaii, The Carnegie Museum of Art in Pittsburgh, the Museum of Contemporary Art in Chicago, the J. Paul Getty Museum in Los Angeles, the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art in California, the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York, NY, and the Museum of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles, CA.

Courtesy: www.artnet.com
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